


Irresistible Temptations

by Echadwen



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: BabysitterGalion, Fluff, Legolas is a little devil, Slice of Life, Translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 22:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11367021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echadwen/pseuds/Echadwen
Summary: The population of the Mirkwood come to celebrate the Summer Solstice, however, the kitchens of the palace seem to offer a more seductive prospect of feast.





	Irresistible Temptations

King Thranduil had dismissed him earlier than usual that evening, but Galion wasn’t at all surprised. Only a few hours later, a great festivity would have taken place, to celebrate the Summer solstice, and, surely, the king wanted to appear at his best for the occasion.

Excitement was palpable in the air.

There was a continuous coming and going through the palace corridors: servants setting about adorning the gardens, maidens in hurried search for the final touch that would make their dress stupendous, and cooks carrying trays filled with the most delicious dishes of Middle Earth, including some sweet-scenting golden biscuits. He smiled at the sight of those sweets, recalling how much young prince Legolas adored them. He remembered that one time he had devoured so many of them, he feared his tummy would explode.

 

 

“ _I will leave this world, won’t I, Galion?” the young prince had asked him as the butler put a cup of herb tea down on the nightstand_ _ **.**_ _“My stomach will burst.”_

_Galion looked at him for a moment: unkempt hair were covering his face, his lips were pursed, his hands pressed against his stomach and a small wrinkle wrung his forehead. A smile appeared on the butler's lips. In his long life, he had never seen anything more tender and sweeter that the son of his Lord._

“ _Don’t say such foolish things, my prince” he had reprimanded him as he tucked him in. “I can’t believe it takes so little to defeat Legolas Thranduilion. What would your father say if he saw you like this?”_

“ _You are right,Galion. I am a prince, and princes never surrender. Give me another one!”_

 

 

He laughed softly, just like that day. That evening, however, the prince wouldn’t be able to enjoy the golden biscuits, since he was still too young to take part in the feast.

He decided that, after getting ready, he would have asked the cooks to put some sweets in a basket to leave outside the prince’s chambers.

 

 

 

 

The first stars had already appeared in the sky when Galion left his room and headed to the kitchens.

He listened carefully, hearing footsteps inside, but he wasn’t surprides: there was so much to be done for the festivity, and he thought that, for sure, one of the cooks had lingered behind to finish the last dishes to bring to the banquet. But then a loud thump made him rush in, worried.

 

“My prince!” he exclaimed as soon as he opened the door.

A tray had fallen to the ground, and the floor was covered in golden bisquits.

“Are you all right?” he asked, approaching him.

The little one's eyes were bright and wet, his cheeks stained with tears and his irises filled with terror.

“I… I didn’t do it on purpose” he tried to justify himself with a trembling voice and his chest heaving with sobs. “I tried to reach for the tray but it was too high… it fell on me. I just wanted to eat one of those sweets”

“Oh, my prince, what matters is that you aren’t hurt”

“You won’t tell my father, right?”

The butler smiled lovingly. “This will be our little secret” and the wink he gave him made the little one smile. “Now, let's put everything back into place and erease every clue.”

 

 

Heels on the cold marble floor.

Only a handful of sweets was left to pick up, when Legolas went to hide himself under Galion’s long overcoat **.**

 

“Galion?”

“M-my lord.”

The king got through the door of the kitchens, staring at him with one eyebrow slightly arched, clearly amused by having caught his upright butler in a compromising situation.

“I thought you were getting ready for the feast.” said Galion, raising back to his feet **.**

“That’s correct.” Thranduil smiled, perceiving the nervousness in the other Elf’s voice. “I could say the same about you.”

“I was going to the gardens, my lord, when the delicious scent of these biscuits made me deviate from my path.”

“It diverted you?” he enquired, and Galion broke into a cold sweat at the sight of that newly arched eyebrow. “You never mentioned your uncontrolled passion for sweets before. I thought the cooks had to watch out only for my son.”

He felt Legolas’ hands clenching around his ankle like pincers.

“Who am I to bore Your Majesty with my sins of gluttony?”

“You are always so considerate of me.” The sides of the king’s mouth went upwards. “Then, should I deduce that this batchwasn't to your liking? However, there's no reason to be so disrespectful to the work of the cooks.”

“On the contrary, my lord.” with the corner of his eyes, Galion saw the prince’s hand coming out from under his vesture, in search for one of the sweets. “They were so inviting I couldn’t resist, and grabbed the tray while it was still hot” and, saying so, he bent to pick up the remaining biscuits, caring to push one under his own overcoat with a swift move of his hand.

“You should pay more attention, Galion. Your services are precious.”

“I will, my lord.”

“When you are finished here, I’m expecting to see you at the celebration.”

“Of course” he said, bowing his head.

When the footsteps of the King couldn’t be heard anymore, Legolas got out of his hiding place.

“Do you think he fell for it?” he asked hopefully.

Galion would have bet everything he had that, the following day, the King would have cared to let them know their punishments. But, he told himself, it wasn't necessary to further scare the young Elf.

“I think so, my prince, but we shouldn't tempt fate any more. It’s really time for you to go to bed.”

 

 

 

The following morning, the princeling found a basket waiting for him outside his chamber's door. Laid down inside was one single biscuit, with a small note.

 

_\- This is what's left of your clandestine present, excluding_ _the biscuits you ruined last night with your clumsy attempted burglary._

_Be slyer_ _next time. -_

 

Legolas bit his lower lip, trying to find, in those words, a possible clue that could tell him if his father was ireful or not.

But that biscuit had such an inviting scent, and it was golden, just how he liked it. He gave a quick glance to his surroundings, then, taking a bite of the treat, he went back to his chamber.

 

 

 

"Be slyer next time. But, my lord, won't this encourage him to try again?" he asked, putting down a tray with a bottle of dowrinion and a goblet.

"Undoubtedly, Galion. Those sweets are an irresistible temptation for my son."

"I fear I can't follow what you are saying, my lord."

"The road to become a warrior is made of small steps. He will take my words as a challenge, he will try hard to go unnoticed, sly and silent like a thief in the shadow and, doing so, he will refine his skills to become a great captain."

Galion smiled. He found difficult to imagine the sweet and tender princeling as a warrior, but he was sure his courage and talents would be sung for many ages to come.

With a bow, he took his leave.

"My lord?" he asked then, when he reached the door. Thranduil turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Were the sweets to you liking?"

"Delicious as the Dorwinion you won't be drinking tonight." The smile on the butler's lips died down, unlike that of the King.

 

 

 

Once alone, Thranduil opened the desk drawer and took out one of the biscuits he had taken away from his son, and took a bite from it.

He had to agree with Legolas: those sweets were truly  _**irresistible.** _

 

 


End file.
